Department of Planning and Environment is coming to Gloucester

Groundswell Gloucester is just one of the groups due to meet with representatives of the Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) tomorrow (May 17) to discuss the proposed Rocky Hill Coal Mine Project at Gloucester.

In a press release issued by Groundswell, they state that they plan to express how they feel about the project; the fact that they “are angry, exhausted and distressed by the flawed proposal to build an open cut coal mine on the doorstep of beautiful Gloucester.”

They state that the mine’s exploration licence was granted by the recently convicted former Minister for Primary Industries and Minister for Mineral Resources, Ian Macdonald.

The release also claims that the current Minister for Resources, Don Harwin has been asked to investigate the circumstances of this licence being issued and that presently no action has been taken.

A spokesperson for the DPE said representatives are meeting tomorrow with MidCoast Council and community groups, including Groundswell Gloucester, to hear their concerns about the Rocky Hill proposal.

“The department is currently awaiting the applicant’s Response to Submissions (RTS), in which the company is to address all issues raised in the public and agency submissions.

“Once the RTS is received, the department will do a full assessment of the proposal before referring its assessment report and recommendation to the independent Planning Assessment Commission (PAC) to make a final decision,” DPE said.